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Sundance Film Festival

Actor Greg Kinnear arrives at the premiere of "Little Miss Sunshine" at the Eccles Theatre during the 2006 Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2006 in Park City, Utah.

An Oscar nominee for the film "As Good As It Gets," who has appeared in such films as "Little Miss Sunshine," "Auto Focus" and "Green Zone," Kinnear now stars in the TV series "Rake" and in the film "Heaven Is for Real."

By CBSNews.com senior producer David Morgan

Credit: Evan Agostini/Getty Images

"Heaven Is for Real"

Kinnear stars in the new movie "Heaven Is for Real," based on the bestselling account of Todd Burpo, a pastor whose young boy (Connor Corum) claims to have seen visions of the afterlife.

"The title is not ambiguous," Kinnear told CBS News correspondent Mo Rocca. "So how do you tell that story without it feeling like a church sermon for two hours?"

For Kinnear, a family man with a wife and three children, part of how he accepted the film was the father-son connection.

"I probably come out somewhere where Todd at the end of the movie says, 'I believe he saw something.' And you know, I think that's okay for me.

"I have three young daughters, and they have fertile imaginations. But at the same time, some of the most honest observations I've ever received is from my kids. So I think Todd's journey of trying to discern what it was he was hearing was part of what made it interesting."

Credit: Sony Pictures

"Talk Soup"

Greg Kinnear was bitten by the acting bug early, and studied drama at the University of Arizona. But he told Mo Rocca that he realized, "I'm never getting a job as an actor. What am I doing?" He switched to broadcast journalism, and in 1991 landed the job of host of a new cable show, "Talk Soup" -- a roundup of the most outrageous, trashy daytime talk show clips. He followed that with hosting duties on NBC's "Later."

Credit: E!

"Sabrina"

Kinnear caught the eye of director Sydney Pollack, who cast him in his first significant film role, the 1995 remake of the romantic comedy, "Sabrina."

Credit: Paramount Pictures

"Sabrina"

Greg Kinnear, Julia Ormand and Harrison Ford in "Sabrina."

Credit: Paramount Pictures

"As Good As It Gets"

In James L. Brooks' "As Good As It Gets" (1997), Greg Kinnear played a homosexual artist whose dog begins to play an important role in the life of his neighbor, an obsessive-compulsive writer played by Jack Nicholson.

Credit: TriStar Pictures

"As Good As It Gets"

Kinnear was asked to an audition at Jack Nicholson's house for "As Good As It Gets," and then, he told Mo Rocca, "He asked me afterwards if I wanted to stick around and have some spaghetti and meatballs. So I figured it had gone okay, and either way I was going to get a nice meal out of it. And a couple of days later I found out I got the role."

His performance in "As Good As It Gets" earned Kinnear an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Credit: TriStar Pictures

"As Good As It Gets"

Helen Hunt, Jack Nicholson and Greg Kinnear in "As Good As It Gets."

Kinnear told Rocca that receiving an Oscar nomination, after only a couple of films, was "super cool, and kind of gave me the confidence to try to make a gig out of this."

"Stuck On You"

"Godsend"

Robert De Niro and Greg Kinnear starred in the 2004 thriller "Godsend," about a doctor who offers to create a clone of a couple's deceased child.

Credit: Lions Gate Films

"The Matador"

In the black comedy "The Matador" (2005), Pierce Brosnan plays an assassin who crosses paths with a businessman (Greg Kinnear) who ends up following him on a fatal assignment.

Credit: The Weinstein Company

"The Bad News Bears"

In the remake of "The Bad News Bears," Greg Kinnear played the coach of the opposing team who was sure - not without justification - that the Bears would never amount to anything.

Credit: Paramount Pictures

"Little Miss Sunshine"

In the 2006 indie hit, "Little Miss Sunshine," Greg Kinnear played a father who leads his extended family on a road trip to satisfy the dreams of his daughter of participating in a tykes' beauty pageant. Abigail Breslin and Steve Carell costarred.

"Little Miss Sunshine"

After shooting "Sunshine," Kinnear appeared in Richard Linklater's adaptation of "Fast Food Nation."

Credit: Fox Searchlight

"Baby Mama"

Tina Fey and Greg Kinnear in the 2008 comedy, "Baby Mama."

Credit: Universal Pictures

"Ghost Town"

In "Ghost Town" (2008), dentist Ricky Gervais has the unfortunate ability to see and hear the dead, including deceased businessman Greg Kinnear.

Credit: Paramount Pictures

"Flash of Genius"

In the biography "Flash of Genius" (2008), Greg Kinnear played Robert Kearns, whose invention of an improved windshield wiper mechanism sets him up for a grueling legal battle against the Ford Motor Company over his patent.

Credit: Universal Pictures

"Green Zone"

Greg Kinnear played a Pentagon intelligence official and Matt Damon a U.S. Army officer in Baghdad during the 2003 U.S. invasion in Paul Greengrass' "Green Zone" (2010).

Credit: Universal Pictures

"The Kennedys"

Greg Kinnear played President John F. Kennedy in the 2011 TV miniseries, "The Kennedys."

Credit: Reelz

"The Kennedys"

Greg Kinnear as President John F. Kennedy and Katie Holmes as Jacqueline Kennedy in the 2011 TV miniseries, "The Kennedys."

Credit: Reelz

"The English Teacher"

Julianne Moore played a high school teacher and Greg Kinnear the father of one of her former students with whom she becomes romantically involved, in the 2013 drama,"The English Teacher."